Hiding
by Kristen3
Summary: Feeling hurt and rejected by Maris, Niles takes solace in a familiar refuge, but he finds that sometimes, coming out of hiding can lead to wonderful results. One-shot. Inspired by "A Day Like Any Other," by BaronessBlixen.


**Author's Note: **Many thanks to Anika (BaronessBlixen) for planting the seed for this and encouraging me to go with it, even though I "borrowed" it from her own story. :)

Niles knew he shouldn't be here, but he and Maris had had a huge fight. It ended, as their fights always did, with her announcing that she was off to Europe for a month. The never ending frustration and hurt from his wife felt like a weight on Niles' shoulders. He had come to Frasier's, hoping for sympathy from his family. But apparently there was none to be found, no family, and no sympathy.

With a defeated sigh, Niles used his emergency key to let himself into the apartment. First he flopped onto the sofa. It felt comfortable here. Perhaps he could just stay here, right on this couch, until Maris returned. But he knew his brother would never stand for such a thing. He glanced out at the dark Seattle skyline. Even the weather seemed to be reacting to Maris. But, just as he was about to turn away, he caught a glimpse of the piano. More precisely, he saw the area underneath it. As a child, he'd often taken solace there. It was a handy place to go whenever Frasier was excluding him, or when his father insisted on dragging him to see the Seahawks play in the World Series. He would simply stay there and refuse to leave until he had his way.

He got up and slowly walked toward the instrument. A strange sense of curiosity compelled him to come closer. Would the feeling of safety and security still be there now, as an adult? There was only one way to find out. Niles got down on all fours and crawled under. Immediately, the familiar dark, sheltered space made him feel safe. Suddenly, he was eight years old again. He didn't care about how ridiculous this must look. It made him feel better, and that was all that mattered.

Gradually, as Niles stayed there, he began to feel a bit better. The outside world faded away, and Maris' angry words were just a memory. Everything was quiet and peaceful.

But the silence was interrupted by the sound of another key opening the door. Niles knew at once that it was Daphne. He could smell her perfume, and hear the sound of her heels on the floor.

Daphne was grateful to be home. She was even more thankful that Mr. Crane had met an old friend and told her to go on home without him. A little peace and quiet would be lovely. But before she could even go and get the romance novel she was reading, she sensed something amiss. At first, she couldn't tell what it was, but it made her feel a bit uneasy. She looked around, and finally noticed Dr. Crane crouched under the piano. She walked toward him. "Dr. Crane, what on earth are you doing down here?" she asked with a laugh.

"I'm hiding." Niles knew he sounded like a child, but somehow, he didn't mind. He was afraid that if he left this spot, everything would become real again. He wasn't ready.

"From what?"

"Maris. My miserable life." Niles turned away from her.

"I'm sure it's not as bad as all that. Why don't you come out of there, so we can talk about it?" Daphne spoke gently. She could tell he was hurting, and she didn't want to cause him more pain.

Niles was torn when she reached her hand out. Part of him wanted to hold her hand; any excuse to touch her was worth it. But if he did, he knew she would make him come out.

Daphne smiled warmly. "Come on. Hiding isn't going to solve your problems. Isn't that what you psychiatrists say?"

A frown appeared on Niles' face. She was right. With a reluctant sigh, Niles took her hand. But stubbornly, he refused to move.

"Now, Dr. Crane, you have to come out of there. What would your patients think?" She laughed at the thought.

"My wife doesn't love me," he suddenly said.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Daphne replied. "Your father and your brother aren't here right now. I could make you some tea and we could talk about it." She had a feeling this might finally do the trick. She was right.

Niles cautiously emerged from his hiding place. He glanced at Daphne, uncertain of her reaction. When she did not laugh or make fun, he finally stood.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you!" Daphne hugged him tightly. She laughed when she saw the surprise on his face. "Now, whatever Mrs. Crane said about you isn't true."

He looked at the ground. "She said I was selfish and inconsiderate. I came home ten minutes late from work due to a traffic jam. Because of that, she's halfway to Paris right now!"

Daphne's heart broke at his sad expression. She hugged him again, longer. "She's the one who's inconsiderate, Dr. Crane. Now, you're a very nice man, so I don't want to hear any more moping and feeling sorry for yourself. All right?"

Niles nodded halfheartedly. To his surprise, Daphne responded by kissing his cheek. "Thank you, Daphne."

"You're welcome. How about that tea, hm?" Niles nodded once again. Daphne quickly dashed off to the kitchen. "Just make yourself comfortable at the table, and I'll be right back." Niles wanted to follow her, but he was still in a daze, so he merely did as she'd asked.

In almost no time, Daphne was back, with two mugs in hand. "Here we are."

"Thank you, Daphne. You're very kind."

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "Thank you. Would you like anything else?"

Niles shook his head. Daphne sat beside him, taking a sip of her tea. "Why don't you tell me what's on your mind?"

A deep sigh escaped from Niles. He wasn't even sure where to begin, but to his own surprise, he found himself telling her the whole story. How he'd met Maris, how she had seemed to love him desperately, but her mood changed shortly after the wedding. And how their marriage was nothing but a shell that left him feeling lonely.

Daphne listened to the story. Her heart broke with each word. She found herself covering Dr. Crane's hand with her own. The gesture seemed to be comforting him, for he made no attempt to take his hand away.

Niles was grateful for the way she listened. He could tell that she wasn't just hearing with her ears; her heart was also reacting to each and every word. This led Niles to think of something that surprised him. If he was going to tell Daphne this story, he should tell all of it. Including the way he'd felt the first time he came here and saw an angel standing before him. "Daphne, may I tell you something?"

"Yes, of course," Daphne responded at once. "Whatever it is, just let it out." She squeezed his hand once again.

"Well, as much as my marriage hurts, with all of the loneliness and regrets, there's also something beautiful in my life." He paused, looking into her eyes. If it weren't for the compassion he saw there, he would never be able to say what he needed to say. "One night, not long after Frasier moved back here from Boston, I dropped over for a visit. I don't really recall the reason. I just know that when I walked in, I saw a vision. A beautiful Englishwoman was standing right there, folding laundry." He pointed to the spot. Even now, years later, he could remember exactly where she was when he first saw her.

"You mean, you remember that after all this time?"

Niles nodded. "Of course. And not just because of your beauty. To my great surprise, we got to know one another, and you became someone that I'm very proud to call a friend. My _best _friend."

Daphne brushed a tear. How had she not known? From the beginning, he'd always paid such attention to her. She had assumed it was kindness. She'd never even considered there might be something more to the story. In turn, she had begun to care for him as well. His compliments often brightened her hardest days. There was no doubt that she loved him. The question was in what way? As a friend or a brother? No, she had never felt quite this strongly toward her brothers, or any man who was just a friend. "Niles?" she said hesitantly.

Her use of his name made him look up. He stammered as he attempted to speak.

Daphne smiled. "Is it all right if I call you that? 'Dr. Crane' seems a bit too formal now, doesn't it?"

Niles nodded. "Yes, of course it's all right. I've waited so long to hear you say that. Say it again, please?"

"Niles. I love you." She was surprised to hear those words come out. But she did not regret them. She kissed his cheek one more time. Very hesitantly, she moved to his lips. That kiss sealed the deal. This wasn't friendship anymore. She wasn't quite sure what to call it, but it didn't need a name.

The feeling of Daphne's lips on his was more than Niles could take. He had thought when he first came here that his life was over. Hiding there beneath the piano, he was convinced that the world was much too scary a place for him. But, the same way that the rising sun can quickly erase the dark, Daphne's love had taken away all of his fear and pain. Never again would he need a place to hide from the world. It was much too beautiful for that.

**The End**


End file.
